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I\u2019m a terrible home cook. But when I watch J. Kenji L\u00f3pez-Alt\u2019s cooking videos<\/a>, I feel like, just maybe, I\u2019m not a complete failure in the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under his guidance in The<\/em> New York Times<\/em> cooking section, I\u2019ve learned, but not yet perfected, how to boil an egg (it\u2019s not as easy as it looks!), added this mayo-marinated chicken<\/a> to my regular dinner rotation, and will one day attempt this spicy-salty sundae<\/a>. His methods are methodical, but generally approachable, and he packs a lot of information into his presentations, allowing hopelessly mediocre cooks like myself to execute at least moderately edible dishes to family and friends.<\/p>\n This month, fans can catch L\u00f3pez-Alt in person, alongside some of the best chefs in the business at Tasting Notes<\/a> on August 14 at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla. The interactive event will feature chefs and classic musicians working in perfect harmony (sorry\u2014I couldn\u2019t resist). Along with L\u00f3pez-Alt, participating chefs include Claudette Zepeda<\/a> (Iron Chef<\/em>, Leu Leu<\/a>), Sean Sherman (a.k.a. the Sioux Chef, a James Beard Award-winning chef, activist, and author) Kelly Van Arsdale (co-founder of Spinnaker Chocolate in Seattle), and a guest chef from Caf\u00e9 Coyote in Old Town.\u00a0<\/p>\n